A major film was released about the Tuam Children’s Home recently, a joint production by RTE, the Irish State Television station obviously, and ITV in the UK. It was extraordinarily harsh in describing this institution, others like it and indeed Ireland in general for those years of the 1920s-50s. In this writer’s opinion, it left a lot to be desired in its accuracy in reference to this Home and this article is an attempt to set the record straight. The first and most important issue of course is the question of whether or not the bodies of children were laid to rest in a disused septic tank, for which see the accompanying diagram and description here, followed by the other great issue, that of the mortality rate in these Homes. read full story / add a comment

A major film was released about the Tuam Children’s Home recently, a joint production by RTE, the Irish State Television station obviously, and ITV in the UK. It was extraordinarily harsh in describing this institution, others like it and indeed Ireland in general for those years of the 1920s-50s. In this writer’s opinion, it left a lot to be desired in its accuracy in reference to this Home and this article is an attempt to set the record straight. The first and most important issue of course is the question of whether or not the bodies of children were laid to rest in a disused septic tank, for which see the accompanying diagram and description here, followed by the other great issue, that of the mortality rate in these Homes. read full story / add a comment

There is no doubt about it that religion and spirituality are under attack and the pressure has been massively increased on the back of the Covid Scamdemic.

The level of suppression and repression now in force against the church has not been seen here for centuries. The irony is that the church hierarchy are largely going along with it. The attack on spirituality is a bit harder to discern but it is there and part of the wider trend. Overall what appears to be going on is the corporate takeover of society and that is the new religion and it is intolerant of any other belief systems. This is a characteristic of all totalitarian systems. They want you to transfer any beliefs you have to them. During the worst periods of the USSR we saw churches burned or closed down and all religious practice suppressed. Similar things happened during the Chinese cultural revolution. What it represents is a demand to turn towards the reigning power and an insistence that this is the only belief system. What the socialist revolution was promising was salvation through socialist organisation of society and by directing the productive forces to the benefit of all peoples, in effect creating heaven on Earth. It didn't quite turn out that way for various reasons. Now the corporate regime is trying the same without the promises.

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"Symbols are what unite and divide people. Symbols give us our identity, our self-image,our way of explaining ourselves to others. Symbols in turn determine the kinds of stories we tell; and the stories we tell determine the kind of history we make and remake."
Mary Robinson, Inauguration speech as President of Ireland, December 3, 1990

Introduction

On the night of the 8 March 1966 a massive explosion was heard in the centre of Dublin and Nelson's Pillar came crashing to the ground in hundreds of tons of rubble. No one was hurt and a stump was all that could be seen of the 157 year old monument. It was not the first time that monuments had been attacked in Ireland and certainly not the last, at least figuratively, with a series of later monuments accruing many derogatory nicknames from the Dublin people.

The recent spate of attacks on monuments in the US and the Uk has opened up the debate on the cultural issues they provoke, ranging from those who can't believe the attacks hadn't happened sooner to those who see their destruction as mob vandalism.
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May 8th is the day of liberation for many of those suffering Nazi persecution. What is still missing today is denazification, coming to terms with the crimes, a culture of remembrance. read full story / add a comment

The Donegal Woman based on the life of my grandmother. On publication and without an agent and self published was number two on best sellers list in the North. "We'll Take A Cup Of Kindness Yet" Memoir and Manifest of my self John Throne. From Donegal small farmer Orange Order family to international revolutionary socialist via the Bogside Uprising and other struggles. read full story / add a comment

“It is with deep sadness and regret that the Workers Party announces the death of Sean Garland, a life-long comrade, a member of the Party’s Central Executive Committee and one of the people who most influenced and shaped the Workers Party over many decades.

Party President Michael Donnelly has paid tribute to Mr Garland saying that he was “a unique and charismatic individual whose contribution to Irish political life cannot be overestimated”. read full story / add a comment

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Prague Spring when the rule of Stalinism in Czechoslovakia and in the entire “Eastern Bloc” was threatened. Solidarity TD and Socialist Party member Mick Barry looks at the lessons of these explosive events. read full story / add a comment

The Heritage Bill completed its passage through the Oireachtas last night, despite widespread opposition from environmental groups, opposition parties, and concerned citizens and farmers working together with biodiversity.

The Heritage Bill will allow for a relaxation of the dates of the closed period for the burning of vegetation and ‘the cutting, grubbing, removal and otherwise destroying of hedgerows’ contained in Section 40 of the Wildlife Act (1976 and amended 2000)[Note 1] The legislation will allow burning of our upland and lowland hills in March, extending the open period for burning by one month, and for the cutting of roadside hedgerows in August [Note2]. read full story / add a comment

My dear Irish friends,
Let me introduce the English version of my e-book The Stone Portals devoted to the study of prehistoric Stone artefacts, the first two Chapters (http://www.astrotheos.com/EPage_Portal_HOME.htm) of which I have just posted at my site www.astrotheos.com.
I appeal to you in connection with the fact that much of the material presented in Chapter 2 is devoted to the reconstruction of the prehistoric solar calendar of the Celts, the key days of which are reflected in the festivals (Samhain et al.), and in correlation with the astronomical alignments of the Passage Mounds, and before all – of the Mound of the Hostages, which I analyzed numerically for all the data that I had.
I would not be distracting your attention if the results obtained in relation to precise determining the exact days of these festivals on the alignments of the mounds would not coincide with the same values determined by the astronomical alignment of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, and a number of other stone artefacts as well.
From my point of view, the results obtained could contribute not only to a more complete disclosure of the properties of these passage mounds and the ancient culture of the Celts in general, but also to that that in scientific, administrative, and esoteric circles, much more attention was paid to preserving and study of these remarkable objects.

Good luck,
Prof. Sergey Smelyakov, Doctor of math, PhD
Kharkov
astrotheos@yahoo.com
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A NEW FLAW has been discovered in the Eoghan Harris / Gerry Gregg TV documentary An Tost Fada (The Long Silence)

A 1939 gravestone (& inscription) of a woman was presented as that of man killed in 1921 (who An Tost Fada said was killed in April 1922). See link to original story below.

Original Story of successful complaint:
RTE upholds complaint against Eoghan Harris programme on War of independence
http://indymedia.ie/article/102026
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The 100th Easter 1916 Commemoration took place in St. Finbarrs Cemetery on Sunday 27th March. read full story / add a comment

On the centenary anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising it is worth reflecting on what has happened since then and the aspirations of the proclamation to guarantee equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens and cherishing all of the children of the nation equally.

The Rising itself was doomed to failure from the start but as with life itself often the most unpredictable and unexpected things happen because despite the lack of initial public support, after the executions sympathies swung the other way and as they say the rest was history and the ripples spread out, because it has been said the fight for independence of India was inspired by the Irish Rising. read full story / add a comment

The 95th Annual Clonmult Martyrs Commemoration took place in Midleton on Sunday 21st February 2016.

The Commemoration gathered at 2:30pm outside the Courthouse, Main Street, Midleton where a colour party comprising members of the Republican Movement – Cork and Cumann na mBan - Cork assembled.
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#SaveMooreStreetfromDemolition This is an important call to you to take part in this crucial show of support of the 1916 Moore Street Markets Battlefield site, on this Saturday. We are asking people to come in 1916 uniform or clothes, to bear one of the flags of the 1916 Easter Rising, to tell and bring your friends and comrades. #SaveMooreStreet Please share this post.

The march assembles at Liberty Hall at 1pm on Sat 30th and then proceeds to Moore Street.

Government sides with Corporate Creed to wipe out our revolutionary memory for good. Later this year or next they will sign away ALL our sovereign rights via the EU-US TTIP treaty read full story / add a comment

A 16-year-old girl has stunned the music industry in Ireland with a brilliant song called Freedom Day, which highlights the suffering of thousands of children facing poverty and oppression across the world.

Róisin Seoighe won a contest organised by the charity PREDA with a song called Freedom Day. Irish singer Damien Dempsey admitted to being overcome with emotion “because this young song writer truly connected with the plight of the children”. read full story / add a comment

The hullabaloo over the commeroration of the 1916 Rising is merely another device intended to perpetuate the deception of the southern Irish working class. It forms a part of the overall ideological paradigm under which southern Irish workers are to be oppressed and divided from much of the working class in the North. read full story / add a comment

A brief, breezy look at the illustrious history Eric Foner read full story / add a comment

In Catholic Ireland in 1922, suicide was the ultimate shame and disgrace, as well as being seen as almost an unpardonable sin, leaving surviving relatives and admirers in anguish at the possible fate of the suicide's soul. read full story / add a comment

The Cork Cumann na mBan 100 years Anniversary Commemoration took place in St. Joseph's Cemetery on Sunday 8th June.

Cumann na mBan, lead the Colour party carrying the Tri-Colour, and flying the Cumann na mBan Cork and Cumann na Cailíni Cork flags. read full story / add a comment